


Fifty Sins

by Becklesheckles



Category: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
Genre: Erotica, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Romance, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-04-18 05:04:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4693106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Becklesheckles/pseuds/Becklesheckles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story of love and growth. Two men come together to face their fears through love.<br/>A father who can't accept his own son and a wife not loved by her husband. </p><p>Will love and lust conquer those who don't want them to be together?</p><p>Sinbad is known for being a pirate of the Seven Seas, but what was his life like before piracy? Who was Proteus to him and why does Sinbad never go after women?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Book of Desire

**Author's Note:**

> This text is not meant to be a serious literary novel.  
> It will take the form of having one chapter in the present, and one chapter as a flashback looking at the progression of the relationship.  
> Whilst there will be funny moments and chapters that are satirical, there will also be serious moments and chapters that will contain fluff.  
> Thank you and enjoy! :)

  
There he was, fighting off 10 men, arms moving so quickly you had to strain your eyes to see them. Proteus. The man Sinbad had been dreaming of for months now, dreams that made it embarrassing in the morning when Kale walked in telling him their latest course and what he suggested they do.  
Shaking the images of Proteus in varies positions out of his mind, Sinbad walked forward. Proteus looked up suddenly, a familiar scent wafting towards him, a scent of musk, sweat and wood, it couldn’t be...Sinbad?

  
“Still fight like an old lady” It was him! Proteus tried to turn around but was quickly pulled to the ground by a waiting pirate. Both men caught each other’s eyes and, forgetting the effect they had on each other, both stopped and stared.  
Sinbad snapped out of the trance first and walked forward knife in hand.  
“Sinbad? What are you doing here?” Proteus asked, resisting the urge to look over his body.  
“I’m working” Sinbad replied, shoving his knife in the door behind him, pushing deep and shuddering when other activities involving inserting and pushing came to mind.  
“You?” Pretending like Proteus was having no effect on him, Sinbad tore the lock off and turned towards Proteus.  
“What happened? Where have you been?” The anger Proteus felt was soon overwhelming him, why was he pretending like they barely knew each other? They hadn’t seen each other in years, since they were boys and he was acting perfectly normal towards him!  
“I’d love to stay and catch up but I’ve got places to see, stuff to steal” Sinbad turned away, his greed soon overpowering his desire and started walking into the now opened room.

  
Anger fueled Proteus as he walked forward, the pirates releasing him immediately at the look of his face.  
There is was. The Book of Peace. The one object that would ensure Sinbad would be able to comfortably retire in Fiji. He whistled, fixated on the glowing object.  
This just made Proteus angrier as he walked forward, blocking Sinbad’s sight,  
“Sinbad, we need to talk”.  
Ignoring him, Sinbad pushed his way through,  
“I’ve read about it, I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never actually seen it” Sinbad only had eyes for the book, the blue planets moving were mesmerizing.  
“It’s my job to bring it safely to Syracuse” Proteus once again stepped forward, his anger rising very closely to the surface.  
“Really? Now I just feel bad because you’re going to get fired.”

  
Proteus moved forward and pushed Sinbad against the wall, how dare he! How dare he come here and try to steal the one thing Proteus had been trusted with. To his father, if Proteus lost the book, Proteus may as well be dead. Sinbad knew this! He knew how violent his father could be, how he could forget the many nights Proteus snuck into his bed, begging him to let him forget the beating he had just received.  
I’ll make him remember Proteus thought to himself and before he could stop himself, he weaved his fingers through Sinbad’s hair and pushed their lips together.  
Sinbad gasped, Proteus had never been the dominant, he was shy and always let Sinbad lead their passion.  
Sinbad’s surprise allowed Proteus to insert his tongue into his mouth, deepening to kiss and tugging his hair harder. The taste of Proteus melted Sinbad and he began kissing back, his own hands moving to Proteus’s head.

  
Proteus removed one of his hands from Sinbad’s hair and used it to force both of Sinbad’s hands above his head.  
“No” Proteus groaned, “This is my revenge”  
Sinbad groaned in return and felt his normally loose pants to tighten.  
Proteus returned to kissing him and immediately began battling with Sinbad’s tongue for dominance. Sinbad wasn’t used to losing this battle and found that he was incredibly aroused when he did.  
When Sinbad began moving his hips towards Proteus’s, he smiled. Sinbad’s arousal was obvious but for once Proteus wasn’t going to relieve him.  
Proteus released him,  
“take off your clothes” He ordered, pulling his own shirt off.

  
Sinbad couldn’t help but stare. Proteus had always been fit but now… He really was a man.  
Soon they were both naked and Proteus forced Sinbad to his knees, his mouth in line with his bulging manhood.  
“Suck” he commanded, holding Sinbad’s head in place with his two hands and pulling him forward.  
Proteus’ forwardness was causing Sinbad to lose his mind. He could do nothing but obey and Proteus’s strong hands forced his mouth down to the base.  
After years of practice, Sinbad’s gag reflex had long since disappeared and he experienced nothing but pleasure when Proteus’s hard-on hit the back of his throat.  
“Ohh, Sin” Proteus’s anger was evaporating as the warm pleasure increased. He began thrusting harder into Sinbad’s warm and willing mouth as he felt his build.  
Sinbad pushed back, achieving an equilibrium with his lover enjoying the moans he was eliciting from Proteus.  
A wave of euphoria passed over Proteus and he released himself inside Sinbad’s mouth, his orgasm extending when he felt Sinbad’s throat move up and down swallowing his man chocolate.  
  
Sinbad stood up, wiping his mouth with his hand as Proteus began redressing himself. He almost laughed when he saw Sinbad looking up at him, hand gripping himself, slowly moving up and down, begging with his eyes for Proteus to help him.  
Proteus couldn’t control his attraction to the man and without thinking about it he carefully laid Sinbad back and began kissing down his chest.  
His tongue dipped innocently into Sinbad’s navel and hips bucked in response which kept Proteus moving lower.  
Sinbad’s arousal was so great that he had been leaking all over himself, leaving a sheen that glittered in the little light they had shining from the Book of Peace. Proteus began licking around Sinbad’s hips, deliberately avoiding the hard, long object jerking towards him. Sinbad was groaning, his hands in fists and his eyes watching Proteus’s as he continued to be teased and tortured.

  
Finally, after what felt like years, Proteus’s warm mouth engulfed Sinbad’s cock, earning a buck and a loud moan in response. Proteus knew that after all the foreplay Sinbad wouldn't last long and when he felt Sinbad’s breath halter, he knew he was just a suck away from Sinbad’s release.  
Knowing this, Proteus moved up and gave one last lick before standing up and continuing to dress himself.  
The look on Sinbad’s face was murderous,  
“What are you doing?” he demanded, sitting up,  
“Getting dressed, I think I can hear more fighting going on” His answer was half true, the boat was starting to rock and Proteus could hear voices that were progressively getting louder.

  
Sinbad stood up,  
“That’s bullshit Proteus, why did you stop?” They had been busy sailing, trying to catch up to this ship for weeks now and Sinbad hadn't felt a man’s touch in twice that amount of time, he didn't think he could stand it if he didn't find his release with Proteus.  
“I'm just going to check on the crew, don’t wait up” For an elegant prince, Proteus knew he could be infuriating when he wanted to and right now he wanted Sinbad eloquently furious.

  
Sinbad gaped at him for a moment before understanding Proteus’s game, he wanted him to beg, wanted him to accept that ignoring him and pretending like they didn't have history deserved a throbbing, demanding erection.  
He closed his mouth and pulled on his shirt before tucking it into his pants. His arousal was still obvious but he refused to touch it or do anything about it.  
Both men dressed in silence, eyeing each other off, refusing to show each other emotion.  
Proteus opened his mouth to speak when suddenly wood splintered around him and he was pushed to the ground, a sharp pain blossoming in his side as he landed harshly on the wooden deck.  
  
A large tentacle had pushed through the ships wall and was now attempting to move closer to the Book of Peace.  
“Come on!” Proteus shouted as he ran forward, into an unknown battle with Sinbad right by his side.


	2. From Humble Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A smut-less chapter containing a little violence!

**From Humble Beginnings**

Proteus had been sitting in the same, hard backed gold chair for the past 2 hours when Dymas brought in the small, frightened boy.  
His father hadn’t said much about him, he had shushed the child, who on better inspection looked about his own age into one of the many spare bedrooms and closed the door.  
Proteus looked to his right at Dimitri’s bored expression which had long ago stopped focusing on the man in front of them and was now staring at the elaborate gold door Dymas and the boy had just walked through.

As quietly as he could Proteus began shifting in his seat, moving his legs to the side and preparing to get up. Dimitri snapped his head towards him and narrowed his eyes. Using his hands he signaled for Proteus to move back around and sit still, Proteus could imagine what he would say if he could,  
“you are a prince! You have certain responsibilities and requirements when it comes to listening to your subjects!”  
Proteus turned his giggle into a sigh and sat back against the chair, trying his hardest to appear interested in what the poor peasant was saying in front of him.  
“Thank you for your time sirs” the man was now standing up and bowing deeply to them, hand holding his battered, dirty hat.  
“You may go now” Dimitri’s bored voice dismissed the man and turned back towards Proteus,  
“Ok you can go now Pro, try not to stress dad out too much”

Proteus leapt up in delight and ran up the main staircase already starting to pull off his heavy robes and golden chains as he did so. Throwing open his door he pulled off his shirt and threw it on the bed, too busy thinking about getting dressed and sneaking around trying to get a look at the mysterious boy Dymas had brought in to notice that the very boy he was thinking about was in fact sitting uncomfortably on his bed, awkwardly holding his discarded shirt.

The boy coughed, trying to avert his eyes from the shirtless boy in front of him and looking down at the warm, dark blue shirt he was holding in his hands. Proteus froze, his hands on his belt as he looked up towards his bed.  
“Uhh…Hi?” he moved his hands away and backed up slowly towards his wardrobe with the aim of dressing himself.  
The boy blushed and started playing with a piece of thread on the shirt he was holding, trying hard to ignore the pale, muscular man. No he said to himself, it’s wrong to think of men like that. Stop, he wouldn’t want you anyway, he’s clearly straight. He took a deep breath and looked back up at the prince, determined to look only into his eyes.  
“Dymas told me to wait here and you would give me a tour”  
“Ok…And who are you?” Proteus had reached the wardrobe and opened it, stepping slowly into it to find himself some decent clothing to hide himself from the strange teenage boy with the dark, black eyes and the scruffy brown hair.

“Oh sorry, I’m Sinbad” Sinbad raised his voice louder than necessary to ensure that the pretty boy behind the door could hear him.  
“Ok Sinbad, I’m Proteus” Now that he was clothed, he felt a lot more comfortable around the new boy.  
“So how old are you?” Trying to make conversation, Proteus stepped out from the wardrobe and closed the door behind him.  
“16” Sinbad answered  
“Oh cool me too” an awkward silence passed between them as Proteus tapped his foot quietly on the ground.

“Ehh… Do you want your tour now?” Proteus tried to remain pleasant and polite but something about this new boy threw him off. Was it his hair? He always had to have his pulled back off his face and tied in a small ponytail at the back of his head. Yes it certainly was odd that this boy seemed to have hair that couldn’t be tamed, maybe he should offer him a headband to hold it back.  
Sinbad was beginning to find the elegant way that Proteus held himself quite interesting and he became suddenly determined to make sure he had a friendship with him, his parents would want that.  
“Sure, do you mind if I call you Pro? Your name is kinda hard to remember.” Sinbad offered him a small smile, letting him know that this was not in malice,  
Proteus smiled at the nickname, “as long as I can call you Sin, no problem”.

The two boys soon found that they had more than they thought in common as they began walking around the castle in Syracuse where Proteus lived.  
“It’s so cool that you live so close to the beach, I love the water” Sinbad was glancing out of one of the windows as he said this.  
“Me too! My father doesn’t understand it though, he doesn’treally let me out there, hopefully I’ll be able to show you it tomorrow or something.” Proteus was so used to being surrounded by people who were afraid of the sea that it shocked him for a moment to discover someone who wasn’t.  
“That would be cool” Sinbad was still distracted by the sun lowering on the waves outside to pay much attention to the slight frown on Proteus’s face.

  
Just as Proteus opened his mouth, ready to ask the question hovering between them, Dimitri walked around the corner, smiling widely clearly extremely happy with something.  
“Proteus! How’s it going little bro? You’ll never guess! You know Kassie, the girl I’ve been hanging out with? Well it turns out that we need to strengthen the alliance between our kingdoms and dad’s just told me I’m marrying her!” Dimitri flashed a brilliant white smile at Proteus before noticing the boy by his side,  
“Oh, who’s this Proteus?”  
“This is Sinbad, I’m not really sure why he is here yet, dad just told me to show him around. Sinbad, this is my big brother and the heir to the kingdom of Syracuse, Dimitri” Dimitri flashed another smile and held out his hand,  
“Lovely to meet you” he said as he grasped Sinbad’s hand and shook it, “Proteus really needs a friend now that I’ll be mostly unavailable, hopefully you’ll do the job well” Dimitri winked at Sinbad at the same moment as Proteus groaned before letting go of his hand and turning back to his brother,  
“Dad told me to tell you that he’s waiting in the library for you, but he also told me to make sure that” at this moment Dimitri straightened his back and began speaking in a deep, posh voice, “you make sure that you treat your guest with the up most respect and make sure that he is well fed and hydrated.” Dimitri dropped the voice and continued, “So I suggest dropping by the kitchens and force feeding him till obvious signs of overstuffing.” With this Dimitri walked past them holding up his hand to signal his exit.

“He was pretty cool” Sinbad said, turning back to Proteus and building up the confidence to make a joke,  
“I didn’t realise you were so lonely though”, Sinbad attempted to copy the cheeky wink that Dimitri had mastered but ended up just blinking, causing Proteus to dissolve in a fit of laughter.  
“Come on, let’s get you something to eat from the kitchens before you make your third mistake” Proteus paused expectantly,  
“Wait, what were my mistakes?” Sinbad asked confused,  
“Number one was attempting to copy my brother, on the best of times it is an impossible thing to accomplish”  
Sinbad laughed and shrugged, agreeing.  
“Ok then, what was my second mistake?”  
Proteus couldn’t help but giggle, “You looked silly doing it!” Proteus lost it laughing, leaving a very confused Sinbad in his wake, it wasn’t long however, until the hysterics from the man next to him made it impossible for him to keep a straight face.

After the laughter subsided, the two boys continued walking down a very long hall covered in paintings and windows until they reached a dark, wooden door.  
“Hope you’re hungry, I think they’ve warmed up all the left overs from lunch” Proteus opened the door and Sinbad’s mouth fell. On a very large table in the centre of the kitchen was a mountain of food, pies, cakes, fruits and pastries all covering the surface, leaving room only for two small plates, his eyes shining with delight he turned back to Proteus,  
“You bet I am!”

Proteus looked up amused when he heard the deep groan from beside him,  
“I can’t do it anymore! There is not room for one more bite!” Dramatically Sinbad flopped down on the table,  
“Then stop!” Proteus tried to push Sinbad’s plate away but was quickly stopped,  
“No it’s all too delicious! I must eat more! I’ve never had this much food in my life!” Proteus laughed before turning towards Sinbad with a serious look on his face.  
Sinbad caught the change in mood and looked back up towards him expecting the question before it left Proteus’s mouth,  
“Why are you here Sinbad? I’m sorry if that’s too forward, I just can’t figure it out.” Proteus had been trying the whole time to figure out why his father would want a poor, untidy boy in his castle. Dymas wasn’t the kind of man to help his family, let alone a stranger.  
Sighing Sinbad sat back on his stool,  
“My parents died.” He had been forced to say it so many times now that he could manage it without bursting into tears.  
“I’m so sorry” Proteus, whilst feeling pity for the boy sitting next to him, he didn’t quite understand why this meant that he was staying with them.  
“Thanks, my dad helped yours out years ago and owed him a favour. Apparently they asked him to take care of me, in case they... You know died I guess”  
A natural silence passed between them,  
“I’m sorry. My mother died 3 years ago, I know how hard it can be” Proteus never spoke about this with anyone and couldn’t understand why he was doing it now.  
“I’m sorry”  
“Thanks. We should probably go see my dad now.” Proteus stood up, still not understanding why this stranger was having such a great effect on him, causing him to blurt out things he hadn’t spoken about with anyone.

“You took your time Proteus, I expect better of you.” Dymas was pacing around the room when Sinbad and Proteus entered the library. Sinbad was amazed over the amount of books in the room. There were huge wooden shelves lining the walls covered in all different books with little plaques dangling from the shelves telling him about genre and order. When he heard the intimidating man open his mouth again however, he quickly snapped his attention back.  
“I hope Proteus has made you as comfortable as possible and shown you all you need to see” Dymas was so tall that Sinbad’s eyes only came up to his chest. His hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and a small crown was perched on top of his head.  
“Yes thank you sir, he has been very welcoming” Sinbad wasn’t sure where to look, Dymas’s bright blue eyes seemed to pierce into his soul, Proteus must have gotten his calm green ones from his mother.  
“I’m sure. I should explain now that while I will be perfectly accepting of you, I expect perfect behaviour. If anyone should ask who you are, you are to say you are a friend of the family from over East.” Dymas now turned to Proteus,  
“You are to treat Sinbad as your eventual right hand, I have decided that is what is best for both of you” Proteus didn’t feel as bad about this as he probably should have. A right hand was meant to be a royal’s best friend and closest advisor, usually it was a brother, as it was with Dimitri and himself, but considering Proteus was the youngest, someone else would have to be chosen, and that lucky person was Sinbad.  
“Sinbad, you will be undergoing lessons every Monday and Wednesday on how to be an advisor, and I will not tolerate it if you are late”.  
Dymas seemed to have finished as he turned away and looked at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room.  
“I have to go now. Good bye.”  
Dymas walked from the room, his long robes sweeping the floor behind him in a way that made it very hard to believe that he was a father.

“He’s intense” Sinbad said a moment later once the library door had swung to a close,  
“Yeah, you could say that.” Proteus was deep in thought imagining what life was now going to be like with Sinbad in his life.  
“We still have a couple of hours of daylight left, want to show me the backyard?” Proteus smiled at Sinbad, grateful for the intrusion into his thoughts.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly and Proteus found it very hard not to like Sinbad. Despite being awkward to begin with, he found that Sinbad was actually extremely energetic and charming. At dinner, when Dymas excused himself to leave the table, Sinbad had stood up and switched his plate around, arguing that as a guest surely he deserved more food than the king did.  
When Proteus showed him his bedroom, he felt a wave of warmth flow over him when both their hands touched at the door handle. Proteus knew Sinbad had felt it too because they had both pulled their hands away before smiling at each other.  
When Sinbad was safety behind the closed door, Proteus leaned against it and sighed. He had tried so hard to get rid of the attraction he always felt towards men and he had thought he had been making progress, he had even started trying to imagine girls kissing him, not that it had made him feel anything remotely to aroused, but now, with Sinbad tall and strong undressing only metres away from him, Proteus was becoming overwhelmed with attraction and he wasn’t sure he would be able to make it disappear.  
That night it took Proteus a long time to fall asleep, and when he finally did so he dreamt of eyes as black as night looming over him.

Both Proteus and Sinbad amazed themselves with their self-control over the next month. Despite both boys being attracted to each other, they had managed to create a strong friendship that no body questioned for a second. Dymas was incredibly pleased with the progress and hadn’t beaten Proteus the entire time Sinbad had been there.  
It was bright and warm on the first day of summer and Sinbad had exactly the same idea as Proteus when they both came down for breakfast that morning. Making sure Dymas wasn’t listening to them, they began whispering excitedly about sneaking off for a beach trip.  
When Dymas excused himself from the table to continue his daily routine, Proteus called out to him,  
“Dad, I was wondering if Sin and I could go on a picnic or something out back in the woods or something”  
Dymas looked at both the boys in front of him, determined to catch them out if they were lying before nodding slightly to them,  
“Be back before sundown” he said before leaving the room.

Proteus and Sinbad could hardly contain their excitement as they rushed up to their respective rooms. Despite his father being perfectly friendly to him for a whole month, Proteus couldn’t help but feel afraid over disobeying him. Usually he wouldn’t dare, the fear of punishment so strong it could crush any willpower he had, but the smile on Sinbad’s face and the sound of his laughter was enough to break any resolve.

Once the boys had managed to sneak out of the castle, they ran down to the beach, laughing at the feeling of sand in between their toes and the sun on their backs. Proteus, the more cautious of the pair, chose a nice spot away from the windows of the castle and began setting up a blanket and an umbrella, ignoring the squirming Sinbad to his side.  
“Come on Pro! You’re taking 5 years! Just lay it down, it doesn’t have to be perfect, we’re going to be swimming most of the time anyway” Sinbad was so eager to jump into the water he was hopping with excitement.  
“You’re so impatient Sin, but fine, I’ll finish this when we get back, race you there.” The competition immediate, both boys began sprinting towards the water, pushing and shoving each other before both diving under the cool, salty ocean water and arguing who entered first.  
“It was so me, there’s no way you beat me, that’s basically impossible” Sinbad dismissed his friend by splashing him with a face-full of sea water,  
“Ummm, I’m a prince, I think I would find it pretty easy to beat a plebe like you” Proteus splashed back with equal force before turning away and looking towards the village on the coast, marvelling at the beauty of it all.

Sinbad narrowed his eyes and noticed the distraction of his friend.  
“Big mistake” He breathed before jumping on Proteus’s back and pulling him under the water.  
Proteus spluttered to the surface, his arms flailing all over the place to see Sinbad swimming away as fast as he could.  
Proteus gave him a small smile, he had been swimming from the age of 5, there is no way Sinbad could beat him in this, and with this comforting thought, Proteus began swimming after the boy he was quickly falling in love with, laughing all the way.

The boys didn’t know how long they had been splashing around in the water for but when the sun began to set, Proteus snapped out of his bliss and felt the colour drain from his face.  
“We need to get back. Now” He swam back to the shore, not looking behind him to make sure Sinbad was following.  
“Pro, wait up! It’s cool, we’re just going to be a little late, slow down!”  
The day’s events had proved that Proteus was indeed a much better swimmer than himself and he was struggling to get back as quickly as he was.  
“You don’t understand my dad Sin, we have to get back now” Proteus called back  
sensing the seriousness in his tone, Sinbad put his head down and began swimming as fast as he could.

When the boys stumbled through the back door, Sinbad noticed Dymas standing in front of them before Proteus did. He nudged his friend in the side and watched as Proteus’s face turned white.  
“I’m sorry! I kept him out so late, I thought we had more time” thinking that this would make it better, Sinbad more than willingly took the blame, stepping forward.  
Dymas turned to him and held his hand out, his eyes a blaze of fury and his voice an even more terrifying level of calm,  
“Go to bed Sinbad, I have to have a word with Proteus.” Sinbad turned towards his friend and, not understanding what was about to happen, turned to leave when Proteus nodded at him to go.

Proteus followed his father into the library and braced himself for the onslaught. He knew it was more dangerous for him when his father appeared calm, and that was exactly how he appeared right now.  
“I’ve trusted you Proteus, I’ve given you more freedom than you deserve and now it seems I need to remind you that it is only there because I allow it to be.” Dymas raised his hand and Proteus closed his eyes, managing not to cry out the first time the fist hit his face.  
Proteus counted 10 hits before Dymas stood up tall,  
“leave now.” He didn’t need to be told twice.

Proteus limped to his room, not noticing that the door was already open when he entered,  
“What did he do to you!” Sinbad jumped up and ran to him, his hands lightly framing his face, forgetting completely about all the boundaries they had both put up to distance romance from friendship. Proteus looked up at him with large, sad eyes surrounded by blackened skin begging him to help him forget the pain.  
Sinbad closed the door and helped Proteus to the bed, climbing in next to him cradling him, not surprised at how right and comfortable it felt. Proteus moved towards him, savouring the heat of the man he had wanted this close for so long and turned his head to face Sinbad’s.  
“Kiss me” he whispered his want to forget and just feel love overpowering his fear of rejection and hurt. Sinbad looked down at his best friend and knew that he wanted nothing more than to do just that, to take away the pain and the hurt from the man he loved.  
Very slowly Sinbad lowered his lips to Proteus’s, pressing them lightly together and savouring the warmth that flowed through him when he did so. Proteus closed his eyes and pressed back, finally feeling something right.


	3. Surprise and Betrayal

After the attack Sinbad hadn’t dared take the Book of Peace. The giant monster had torn half of Proteus’s ship to shreds and almost all of his crew had fallen victim to the vicious beast.

He had however, dared to say nothing to Proteus and scramble back onto his own boat, eager to be as far away from Syracuse as possible.   
Proteus’ half sunken ship pulled into port to be greeted by a massive crowd, congratulating him on successfully bringing the Book of Peace back where it belonged, his father, Dymas was nowhere to be seen, although Proteus knew he would be watching like a hawk from one of the many windows overlooking the water at the palace.

A group of the kingdoms best soldiers were waiting for the 3 survivors as they stepped off the ship to protect the men against the heartbroken sops and screams made by the left behind families of those who had fallen. Proteus shut his eyes after the 3rd inconsolable mother dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands, leaving himself with that image and the accompanying screams to follow him up the rest of the walk.

The 3 men entered the main throne room through the large golden doors to find Dymas sitting in the middle throne.   
“3 men? This was a routine sail, what happened?”   
Proteus knew better than to take his father’s tone as concern, he was angry that they would have to pay condolence fees out to the families of the fallen.

“We were attacked by some kind of sea monster” Proteus spoke with no conviction, knowing that even if they had a tentacle as proof his father wouldn’t believe their story.   
As if he heard Proteus’s thoughts Dymas snorted,

“Ok, sure, sea monster, let’s go with that. Just between us, did you fall asleep at the wheel or maybe…” Proteus stopped listening to his father’s taunts and for one of the few times in his life, interrupted him,   
“May I be excused, I am extremely tired, these men can vouch for the story”

Dymas narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist, like he was just itching to use it.

“Fine, leave me”

Proteus turned on his heel and began walking up the long flight of stairs towards his bedroom, he could not deal with anything more at the moment, and his sense of loss was so great that he could think of nothing else. He had failed his crew. If he wasn’t in that room with Sinbad, Proteus shivered at the memory before becoming immediately disgusted in himself. He was going to bed, no more thoughts, and no more words, just sleep.

As he crawled under the covers he felt the veil of tiredness surround him but knew that his mind would be far too busy to get any sleep that night. 

The sun hadn’t risen when a loud knocking awoke Proteus from his restless sleep.   
“Proteus sir, it is time to get up I’m afraid. King Dymas has decided to hold a celebration in your honor”.   
“Proteus?” Lola knocked on the door louder this time.   
“I’m awake Lola! Please stop the knocking!” Proteus could hear a soft laugh as the maid stepped back from the door.   
“Ok sir, would you like some bread bread?”   
For the first time in weeks Proteus couldn’t help but lose it laughing. Since he was a small child he would only accept toast if it had been called bread bread and Lola, having found this absolutely hilarious, still continued to call it that even though Proteus was now a 25 year old man.

“I’ll come down and grab it Lola, thank you”   
Proteus swung his legs out of bed and ran a hand through his long hair, frizzy from his continuous tossing and turning throughout the night.   
Walking into the bathroom Proteus grabbed a robe from the side of his room and quickly stripped off his dirty clothing, wincing when he smelt the stale sea water that had dried there.   
  
He stood in his bathroom and stared up at his tired, browned face. He did not look 25. The stress of the past weeks had taken its toll and he didn’t know how much more he could take.   
But he had seen Sinbad. The man he had dreamed about and had sometimes missed so much he didn’t know if he would ever breathe again had appeared on his ship, had made him feel pleasure that he hadn’t felt for years. Proteus closed his eyes and gave in to the memory. He could feel his hands, his lips, he could remember his taste, his smell. He remembered forcing Sinbad to his knees, forcing himself inside his mouth and letting of everything. Proteus began moving his hand down his stomach, towards his awaking arousal.   
There was a knock at the door and Proteus snapped open his eyes, his hand moving back up to the side of his body.   
“I’m coming!” his voice cracked and he fell into a fit of coughing to try and hide it.  

 The castle was brimming with people as the sun went down. Proteus had spent the day welcoming the lords and ladies from the land and listening to their continuous congratulations of being ‘the great survivor’.   
He was now sitting on the throne beside his father awaiting the congregation of the many kings to begin so that he could go to sleep.   
Suddenly the double doors flew open and a group of men stepped forward.   
“Good evening Dymas, I was wondering where my invitation was for this little party.” Sinbad held his arms wide and looked around the room trying desperately not to linger on Proteus’ shocked face longer that what would be normal.

“Sinbad? What do you think you’re doing back in my castle? You know very well why you are not welcome here” Dymas, much to the shock of everyone else in the room, was a deep scarlet and was clearly embarrassed at the sight of the pirate.  
“What am I doing here? Surely Proteus told you” Dymas’s face went an even darker shade of red and his hands began to shake,   
“I would rather we spoke alone”   
Proteus looked between the two men, terrified of how far Dymas would be willing to go to protect the secret he had been keeping for all of this time.   
“There’s no need. I helped Proteus save the Book of Peace and I’m here for my reward.” Amazingly Sinbad managed to keep his resolve and continued to stare directly into Dymas’s eyes, hoping that the relief that Dymas would get from hearing that he wasn’t there to out his son would stop him from punishing him.

He was correct and Dymas visibly relaxed.   
“He did not mention this.” Now both men were looking at Proteus and he wanted nothing more than for the floor to make him disappear.   
“Yeah, he helped, he sailed by just as the monster began attacking our ship.” It was only because Proteus had had years of practicing how to keep his face neutral that he remained stoic when the memories of what had transpired on the ship with Sinbad filled his mind.   
Dymas looked annoyed when he turned back to Sinbad,   
“Very well. You are welcome to stay just remember that you are only a temporary guest and you may not tale the liberties you have taken here before.” Proteus knew that the ‘liberties’ his father was talking about meant that Sinbad and Proteus were not going to be allowed anywhere near each other and he was surprised to find that this bothered him greatly.   
Sinbad has an effect on him that he could not understand. How could one man, a man that had very nearly ruined his life and had treated him like a stranger even though they had been the most intimate of friends make him lose his mind?

Proteus heard a feminine cough from the side of the room. He looked up and saw Marina dressed in a shimmering blue ball gown holding her hand to her mouth and staring straight at him.   
He had told her about his childhood and the boy that had helped him through it. She did not know however that the same boy was now a man standing with them in this room and Proteus was suddenly terrified at the thought of her finding out.   
“Well great. May I be excused?” Proteus stood up, not waiting for an answer and hurried out of the front doors, knowing that Marina would follow him.

“Proteus wait.” She had caught up and had her hand on his arm pulling him to a secluded part of the garden.   
“What’s wrong?” Marina had a sense for when Proteus was feeling upset.  
“I’m just overwhelmed Rina, I mean almost all of my crew is dead and we’re here acting like I’m a hero for bring home that god forsaken book. And then he comes in! You know he was going to steal the book when he caught up to us right? And he would have if it wasn’t for that horrible squid thing deciding to slaughter my crew.”   
Proteus slid down the wall and put his face in his hands. He heard Marina slip her shoes off and sit down next to him. She took his hand in hers and placed a warm kiss upon it.   
“It’s all over now Proteus. I’m sure Dymas will give the pirate his money and send him on his way. As for your crew, there was nothing you could have done so don’t beat yourself up for surviving.” Rina smiled at him and placed another kiss on his hand. “He’s kind of cute though, that pirate.”

Proteus twitched and nearly withdrew his hand, Marina had a habit of reading his thoughts and this disturbed him greatly.   
“There you are, Good. Proteus a word, now” Dymas had walked around the corner and almost smiled at the sight in front of him.   
Proteus, not noticing the pleasure on his father’s face, assumed his was in trouble for some ridiculous reason and rose to his feet suppressing a sigh.   
The two men walked around another corner of the garden where the bushes had become so overgrown that a there was a small dome of seclusion that would ensure that their conversation could not be overheard.   
“I’m glad you and Marina get along so well”, confused Proteus nodded slowly,   
“Yes she is very lovely” Dymas clapped his hands together  
“Perfect, you’re marrying her, go ask her now.” He turned around and began to walk out the way they had come.   
“What!” Proteus reached out, grasping his father on the shoulder. He knew he loved Marina but not in a way that would make him or her happy for the rest of their lives.   
“You know better than to argue with me Proteus, you are marrying her.” Dymas glared at him, threatening him to argue again so that he had an excuse for the violence he so wanted to carry out.   
Proteus closed his eyes and sat down on a white stone bench, “Yes father” he answered.

Once Dymas had walked away Proteus had kept his eyes shut against the silent tears that were running down his face he remembered a time when he had just turned 17 and Dymas had pulled him aside telling him that over the next year he would be getting him to meet women that would eventually become his bride. He had told him that after Dimitri it was vitally important that he chose a good and healthy wife.

That night he had crawled into bed with Sinbad and they had laid together, hands interlocked talking about it.   
“You know, we could run away.” Sinbad was laying on his side, leaning up on his elbow looking down at Proteus whose long hair was spread wildly over his pillow.   
Proteus looked up at him and started to laugh before halting, looking up at Sinbad whom had a perfectly serious look on his face.   
“I’m serious Proteus. This is never going to get better, we’re adults next year and you’re about to be married off. We could leave, sail the seas, you’re dad’s terrified of water, he wouldn’t come looking for us.”   
Sinbad was sitting up now, looking down at Proteus with a gleam in his eyes.   
Proteus looked away and sighed. He fell silent and put his hand in his mouth, biting his thumb. They could run away. His dad wouldn’t come after him and they would be free to live on the ocean together. He began to smile,   
“Do you really want to?” Proteus looked back into Sinbad’s eyes which had lit up with his obvious happiness.   
“Of course I do Pro! Imagine us together on the ocean! That’s how it’s meant to be, not with you married to some random woman!” Sinbad smiled and pushed himself on top of Proteus, using his arms to keep the majority of his weight off of him.   
He moved his face closer to Proteus’s, smiling as they began to kiss.

Proteus heard a stick snap and he opened his eyes. Marina was standing at the edge of the overgrown garden and was staring at him.   
Biting the bullet Proteus looked up at her, forced a smile and spoke,   
“Hey Rina, will you marry me” He tried his hardest to look and sound happy but knew that it was a dismal effort.   
To his surprise Marina gave him a sad smile and shook her head,   
“Proteus, we both know you’re not interested in what I have to offer.” Confused, Proteus spoke again,   
“What do you mean?”   
“Well, I’m kind of missing a key body part” Proteus stood in silent shock. She knew. She knew he was.. How he was.   
“How long have you known?”   
Marina sighed,   
“As soon as I met you I guess, it isn’t hard to tell Proteus and the way you spoke about that ‘old friend’ of yours didn’t make it hard to guess” Marina froze and looked at him before turning her head over her shoulder,   
“It’s him isn’t it, that pirate in there, that’s your friend” Proteus looked at her,   
“How can you tell these things?!” Marina opened her mouth to speak and the air was filled with a high pitched scream. Proteus knew immediately what was wrong,   
“It’s the book”.

Proteus stormed down into the dungeons, his father had just told him that the thief Sinbad had stolen the Book of Peace and hidden it and he was now locked up awaiting trial.   
He barked at the guards to open the door and ordered them to wait by the entrance of the dungeon, he did not want them to hear what he was about to say.   
Walking in Proteus refused to look at the man sitting, chained in the corner of the room,   
“How dare you! I trusted you! Do I mean nothing to you anymore, do you so easily forget what we once meant to each other?!” Proteus was furious, he spoke only to the room and denied looking at Sinbad, knowing that if he did his anger would dissipate too quickly.   
“Pro, look at me” Sinbad’s voice was full of earning, longing and sorrow, not the sound Proteus was accustomed to hearing coming out of his mouth,   
“I can’t.” Proteus was starting to find it hard to speak, his throat was becoming choked up and he was struggling to hold back the tears in his eyes. This was the second time Sinbad had treated him like he meant nothing and this time he had done something even more unforgivable by risking his own life and Proteus’s he felt his anger threaten to explode.   
“Pro, please”   
Proteus interrupted him,   
“Maybe that’s what you want! For me to be the one banished and possibly killed. That way you can properly forget the shame you faced back then!” He heard a sharp intake of breath and heard the clink of metal as Sinbad stood up, pulling on his chains. But Proteus could handle no more and he let go, sobbing and gasping for air, his hands in his hair tugging and pulling, pain replacing pain.

Sinbad used the little space he had with his hands chained together to place his fingers lightly on Proteus’s face, taking it as a good sign when he wasn’t thrown off.   
“Pro stop. You know I could never do that to you, I could never betray you. You think I feel shame? I could never, those days were...” Proteus looked up at him and brilliant green eyes met his. Proteus saw the bruises and dark lines over Sinbad’s face and knew he was lost when he looked into black eyes. Both men could no longer think or speak and before either of them could stop it, their lips connected and their bodies ignited. Mouths moved over each other and Proteus tangled his hands in Sinbad’s hair tugging lightly just the way Sinbad liked it. Proteus began moving his lips down Sinbad’s next sucking for only a few seconds before moving further down. Sinbad moaned loudly and Proteus quickly moved back up to silence him with his lips.   
The men broke quickly apart when they heard voices coming around the corner,   
“He told us to stay by that door”   
“Yeah well what if the prisoner jumps him or something, if he kills him then we will be the ones in that cell.”

Proteus moved back and smoothed his clothes down with his hands.   
“I believe you.” He coughed suddenly to clear his voice and bring it back down to a normal octave.   
“You’re going to have to go to trial, but if you didn’t steal the book then you should get off.”   
“It’s not going to be that easy Pro.”   
Proteus coughed once more as the guards appeared at the doorway.   
They looked into the room and saw Sinbad’s flushed face and his swollen lips,   
“Ehh… Are you okay your majesty?” The braver of the guards was the only one who spoke.   
“Yes I’m fine, I’ll leave now. I’d say good luck Sin, but you won’t need it”. With that Proteus turned on his heel and walked away, planning to do something incredibly stupid when the trial came around.


	4. Till Death Do Us Part

When Proteus opened his eyes he stared at the ceiling and smiled. It had been almost a year since Sinbad had mentioned sailing away from Syracuse and every day since then they had planned a little more. Sinbad had been exploring the nearby village and had perfected the art of stealing small coins which they had been keeping safe in a tied up sock hidden in Sinbad’s drawer. Last night they had counted them all and were both stunned to find out that they had nearly 500 gold coins.  
“I was worried that we wouldn’t have enough in a weeks’ time! This is plenty!” Proteus had run his hands through the coins and laughed, “We can actually leave!”  
Sinbad had smiled at him and had tilted Proteus’s head towards his own with his long fingers,  
“Always so surprised Pro.” And with that he had kissed him leaving the conversation hanging for almost an hour.

Proteus turned his head to the left and looked at his lover, still sleeping peacefully, his naked chest the only thing visible above the blanket. Sinbad’s hair was falling lightly across his forehead and a slimmer of sunshine was dipping through the curtains and landing softly upon his relaxed face. Proteus felt his heart warm at the sight. He turned his body and rested up on his elbow, enjoying the view before him, knowing that in a couple of minutes Sinbad would wake up and kiss him and tell him he loved him and that they were going to run away together.

Just like Proteus had predicted it was only a couple of minutes later that Sinbad opened his eyes and met Proteus’s.  
“You stare at me every morning, surely you’ve memorized the view by now” Sinbad was smiling and brought his hand up to Proteus’s, interlocking fingers.  
“I don’t think that I could ever get used to the view, and besides I was just waiting for you to wake up so you could take care of something for me.” Proteus moved his hips, his morning arousal lightly dragging across Sinbad’s skin.

Sinbad’s eyes immediately grew darker, his own erection was already begging for attention. Sinbad moved his hand from Proteus’s and weaved his fingers through his lover’s hair. He then pulled his head suddenly towards his own and his mouth met Proteus’s in a storm of passion.  
Their tongues immediately connected and moved over each other, working in perfect unison to cause synchronized moans from both men. Sinbad pulled Proteus down and rolled on top of him, making sure that they mouths remained connected.

Coming up for air Sinbad began kissing down Proteus’s neck, trailing his tongue to his collar bone and sucking gently. Proteus bucked his hips in response and the sensation of both of their members sliding over each other had the two men gasping in response. Sinbad began slowly dragging his erection over Proteus’s, warm fluid mixing from both of them making the sensation all the more delicious.  
“I want to, like this” Proteus pulled Sinbad’s head back to his own, accompanying the warm passion that was building between their legs with his mouth on Sinbad’s.

Sinbad began moving faster, getting closer and closer to his release. Proteus could only moan in response as he too felt himself losing control at the sensation Sinbad was creating.  
“I can’t hold it back anymore Pro” Sinbad grunted, interlocking his fingers with Proteus’s and slowing his movements, not wanting to push himself over the edge too soon.  
Proteus moved his hips towards Sinbad’s and smiled at him,  
“Come with me Sin”  
Like magic, Proteus’s words tipped both men over the edge and they spilled their release over each other crying out as they did so.

Sinbad collapsed on top of his lover laughing.  
“How are we going to clean this up?”    
Proteus with his eyes closed tight in a blissful peace returned a smile to his lover,  
“We’ll do it in a moment, I’m enjoying myself” Sinbad put his head on Proteus’s chest and laid there, looking out through the small crack in the curtains at the sunny day before them.

“Wait, Pro, what time is it? I think…” Sinbad immediately fell silent as a loud knock filled the room. Proteus jumped up, pale faced and stumbled out of bed, moving awkwardly to the bathroom. He managed to shut the door just as another opened and Sinbad pulled the covers over the mess that was covering his stomach.  
“Good morning Sinbad, have you seen Proteus? King Dymas wants to speak to him.” Lola poked her head through the door.  
Flustered Sinbad shook his head,  
“No he should be on his morning walk, if I see him I’ll tell him.”

Lola closed the door and Sinbad could hear her steps recede. He breathed a sigh of relief and pushed the blankets back. Proteus opened the bathroom door,  
“Is she gone?”  
Sinbad sat up,  
“Yeah, you need to go see your father.”  
Sinbad got out of bed and walked naked towards Proteus.  
“Ok, where are my clothes?”

Proteus left Sinbad’s room and snuck into his own closing the door quietly. He stripped off once more and walked into his bathroom, washing off the mess on his stomach and running cool water through his long hair.  
He put on his royal robes and tied his hair back, his father had left him pretty much alone lately and the sudden interest frightened him.

Proteus entered the main throne room and saw his father sitting on his golden chair. When Dymas noticed him he gestured to the throne besides him,  
“Sit Proteus, it is a very important day for you.”  
Proteus, unable to refuse him did as he said.  
“Now, I know that this is sudden but you are nearly 18 years of age and that is well past time that you were married.” Proteus gasped and his eyes widened.  
“We are, as of tomorrow going to be the noble hosts to a very rich and very important family from across the sea. They have with them a 15 year old daughter of incredible beauty Isabella and I have arranged for your marriage to her to take place tomorrow afternoon.”

  
Proteus stood up,  
“What?” He was in disbelief. He was a week away from leaving, a week away from being with Sinbad forever and his father was going to ruin it.  
His face was pale and his hands were shaking,  
“You are marrying this girl Proteus, and if you speak back to me again I will have to punish you. Now leave.”  
Proteus stepped down from his throne and walked slowly towards the main doors. He pulled them open and turned back towards his father,  
“I will not marry her.”  
With that he ran, forgetting everything but the need to be as far away from the castle as possible.

It was dark by the time Sinbad found Proteus. He was sitting on the beach, the same place where they had gone together all those years ago, his face stained with tears.  
“Pro?” Sinbad approached cautiously, he knew that if Proteus wasn’t prepared to talk about what had made him flee from the castle then he was likely to lash out.  
Proteus lifted his head at the sound of his lover and wiped his face, revealing a small puppy in his arms.  
“I found him whimpering, abandoned by the jetty. I gave him some food and he kept following me.” He gave a stifled laugh, “I guess he reminded me of you, you always said you wanted a dog.”  
Sinbad knelt by Proteus and lightly scratched the dogs head, smiling.  
“Oh Pro, he’s perfect.” The dog licked his fingers before looking up at Proteus and licking his cheek. “What happened? The king is furious, he says that you’ve gone rogue” He continued to pat the dog, looking at Proteus as he did so.

“My father wants me to get married.” Sinbad’s eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists into tight balls. He had expected it, King Dymas had yelled all over the castle about his sons betrayal, but somehow hearing it from Proteus himself made it hurt all the more.  
“Well that’s just too bad, unfortunately I packed all of his son’s things and have found a ship that will carry us away from here tonight.” Proteus’s smile lit up his face as he dropped the dog and wrapped his arms around Sinbad, kissing him feverishly on his lips.

A loud cry forced Sinbad and Proteus apart, both of them spinning towards the source of the cry. King Dymas was standing by the castle, not daring to take a step further onto the beach that he so despised, his face in a twisted form of disgust.  
“How dare you, we took you in, I let you into my home” He was trembling as he pointed a large finger at Sinbad’s shocked face, “You have overstayed your welcome and if you dare speak to anyone of your disease and how it has infected my son, I will make sure you never see daylight again.  
The dog in Sinbad’s arms began to bark as the two boys stood trembling,  
“Father” Proteus took a step forward, his hand in Sinbad’s, “This has nothing to do with Sin, we’re in love, I love him and..” King Dymas roared forcing Proteus to his knees.  
“You will not speak of your unnatural affliction with this filth. I assure you if your brother was not sick I would denounce you right now.” Proteus couldn’t stop the tears running down his face as he clung to Sinbad’s hand as if his life depended on it.

“You can’t stop us Father, for too long I have put up with your abuse for the whole of my life and it finishes now. We’re leaving, farewell father.” Proteus stood up wrapping his arm around Sinbad’s waist and pulling him in the opposite direction of the castle.

When King Dymas began laughing the boys paused, suddenly much more frightened.  
“You think that I’m going to let you leave Proteus? You’ve always seen the best in people, sometimes when it isn’t even there. You think that if I could I afford to lose you I wouldn’t have already? You’re a fool and that boy you’re trying to run away with is even more foolish for thinking that he could outsmart our kingdom.” King Dymas sucked in a deep breath and knowing what was coming next, the two boys stumbled into a run, their fingers intwined holding them together.

King Dymas shouted so loudly that his voice echoed off the walls,  
“GUARDS! My son is being kidnapped, be sure not to harm him but do whatever is necessary to stop them.”

Proteus could hear the guards behind them as they raced up the beach. Turning towards his lover he whipped away his tea,  
“I love you Sin, no matter what I’ll wait for you. Forever.”  
Sinbad opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by the twang of a bowstring followed by the point of an arrow entering his right calf. He went down, trying to disconnect himself from Proteus so not to drag him down aswell. The pain was overwhelming as both boys crashed to the ground, Sinbad choking on a scream.  
“Sin, Sin! Oh God no, please no. STOP! I command you too stop! He isn’t doing anything wrong.” Proteus was crying sodeeply that his words were stuggling to come out, “He didn’t.. He was with me.. We were so close.” The guards surrounded them and Proteus was lifted to his feet by strong hands on both arms.  
“Put me down!” He screamed and kicked out, managing to connect with one guards shin, allowing him to slip from his grasp. He crawled back to Sinbad, and managed to srtoke his face nonce before he was re-grabbed, this time by two different guards.  
“I’m sorry your highness, orders are orders.”

Proteus could do nothing but struggle as he was carried away back to the castle. The last thing he saw before a guard stepped infront of him was Sinbad being dragged roughly to his feet receiving a punch to the head when he cried out that left him unmoving.

Sinbad jerked awake dripping wet. His back ached from the rough stone of his cell and his calf was on fire, already bleeding through the loose bandages that had been thrown to him when he was placed in th dungeons.  
The guard who had knocked him out on the beach was standing over him with a bucket of now empty water.  
“The King wants to see you, consider yourself honoured.” He laughed as he dragged Sinbad to his feet and pushed him forward onto his knees. He pulled out a length of rough rope and tied Sinbad’s hands tightly together, making sure that no blood would flow to his fingers.

King Dymas walked around the corner and stopped at the open door of Sinbad’s cell.  
“I’m not here to kill you, as much as I want too.”  
Sinbad couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, at least he would live another day.  
“You know things about my son that would be extremely embarrassing if they were to come out to the public. Name your price and I will pay it as long as you swear to keep your silence about your relationship with my son.”

Sinbad’s eyes widened, he was offering him a way out, a way to leave, grow strong and come back to break Proteus free.  
“A ship is all I want.”  
“Perfect”


End file.
